Book : My Diwali Light - Mirchandani, Raakhee

-Titulo Original : My Diwali Light

-Fabricante :

Little, Brown Books For Young Readers

-Descripcion Original:

A charming holiday story following one girl’s family as they celebrate their Diwali traditions with the ones they love. Devi loves the Diwali season. It’s a time to wear her favorite red bindi and eat samosas until she bursts! Makemithai and design rangoli with her Papa. And paint diyas with her nani-a reminder to shine her light brightly all year long. This joyful story, with vibrant collage illustrations, follows one girl’s Diwali traditions as her family celebrates their favorite holiday with the ones they love. From School Library Journal K-Gr 3-Many picture books about Diwali have recently been published; what sets this one apart is its mixture of both traditional and new ways to celebrate the holiday in a secular nation. Diwali is Devis favorite time of year because that means there will be sweets, new clothes, jewelry, bindis, marigolds, diyas, rangoli, lights, and sparklers-but most of all, her family will be hosting a big party. The book has good pacing, starting from the ways in which Devis family prepares for Diwali. Devi cleans her room and makes food with Nani, Papa, and Mama. Then, they commemorate by gathering and conducting a puja. The story presents both the celebration of Diwali and also the cleansing, prayers, and offerings involved. Mirchandani equates Diwali with collectivity, showing that the joy of the holiday can be shared with family and friends inside and outside of the culture. The illustrations are collage-style, which is fun and colorful for children, but may be a bit simplistic. Kelkar pieces together actual fabric patterns, but the intricacy of clothing like sarees and salwar kameez, and jewelry like tikkas and naths, are lost in these illustrations. Back matter includes notes from both Mirchandani and Kelkar, where they share their personal connections to the holiday. VERDICT The authenticity and flow of the narrative makes this a great addition to a South Asian collection. Fans of Jyoti Rajan Gopals American Desi, also illustrated by Kelkar, will enjoy this book.-Paige Pagan?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Review “[A] vibrant account of a close-knit family and community. MY DIWALI LIGHT should be part of all sets of books about traditions and cultures.” Booklist Mirchandani equates Diwali with collectivity, showing that the joy of the holiday can be shared with family and friends inside and outside of the culture. SLJ Mirchandani’s simple, elegant text explains the holiday, vividly bringing to life a family that loves coming together to share traditions, while Kelkar’s bold use of color (particularly shades of purple, blue, and green) makes the illustrations pop….A warm, heartfelt ode to Diwali and the joys of family. Kirkus About the Author Raakhee Mirchandani is an award-winning writer and editor and the author of Hair Twins and Super Satya Saves the Day. When she isnt writing, Raakhee is either organizing her book shelves, running races to raise money for kids with cancer, or admiring her many Diwali decorations, many of which she leaves up all year round. She lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, with her husband and daughter. She invites you to follow her on Twitter @Raakstar, on @RaakstarWrites, or visit her online at raakstarwrites . Supriya Kelkar grew up in the Midwest, where she learned Hindi as a child by watching three Hindi movies a week. She is a screenwriter who has worked on the writing teams for several films. Supriya is the author of Bindu’s Bindis, American as Paneer Pie, That Thing about Bollywood, and Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame, among others, and the illustrator of American Desi. She invites you to visit her online at supriyakelkar .